About Immunology at NIH

	Dr. Joseph J. Kinyoun, founder of the Hygienic Laboratory.

Immunology and Infectious Disease research has been central to the mission of the NIH since its origins as Dr. Joseph Kinyoun's “Laboratory of Hygene” established in Staten Island , New York , in 1887 to find better means of screening for infectious diseases in passengers arriving on ships from abroad. The scope of Immunology research at NIH has expanded along with the intramural research program and now encompasses more than 200 laboratories across most of NIH's twenty-seven institutes and centers at the main Bethesda, Maryland Campus and other NIH intramural research sites such as the Frederick Cancer Research Facility, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, and the NIEHS research complex in North Carolina . The research arm of the FDA is also located on the Bethesda Campus and is home to a number of immunology labs.

Researchers at the NIH have made fundamental discoveries and advances in immunology, such as the development of Freund's Adjuvant by Dr. Jules Freund, identification of many of the cytokines and chemokines that regulate immune function, co-discovery of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, and the causes of genetic immunological diseases such as Chronic Granulomatous disease, Autoimmune Lymphoproliferative Syndrome, and Familial Mediterranean Fever. Working in partnership with and as part of the NIH clinical center, the largest clinical research site in the world, physician-scientists at NIH have helped develop many now-standard therapies for immunological diseases such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Vasculitis. Many of the first trials of monoclonal antibody therapy and gene therapy took place at the NIH clinical center. Today, NIH intramural researchers are at the forefront of vaccine development for HIV and other emerging infectious disease threats. A dedicated Vaccine Research Center on the NIH research campus opened in 1999.

With fewer teaching and grant-writing responsibilities, the principal investigators at the NIH have time and resources to pursue research projects in basic and applied areas of immunology with the goal of better understanding and treatment of human diseases related to the immune system. Many of the world's leading immunologists and infectious disease experts make their home at NIH, including ten members of the National Academy of Sciences. We invite you to explore the research interests of our faculty and the vibrant immunology community at NIH.